


Day 11: Hair Pulling

by MadhouseVagabond



Series: 30 Day Whump Challenge 2018 [11]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: 30 Day Whump Challenge, Angst, Captured, Depression, Doubt, GTA AU, Gang Violence, Gen, Hair Pulling, If You Squint - Freeform, Interrogation, Minior character death, Pain, Regret, Torture, Vagabond, Whump, battle buddies, hinted Jeremwood, rimmy tim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-06-29 02:15:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15719859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadhouseVagabond/pseuds/MadhouseVagabond
Summary: Jeremy has been captured and the crew isn’t there to save him.





	Day 11: Hair Pulling

Jeremy's head snapped back painfully and he groaned. He'd been enduring the physical beating ever since the goons had grabbed him and brought him to this old abandoned warehouse where they tied him to a wooden chair and began to interrogate him. Thankfully these idiots were nothing like Ryan, the Vagabond's victims never fully recovering or straight up being murdered after they'd served their purpose. Jeremy spat blood out of his mouth and glared up at the man who'd struck him, a large thick man with muscles that frankly made the lad jealous.

 

"That all you got? You hit like a little girl!" he sneered, earning another punch. He knew pushing their buttons wasn't the smartest of ideas but he enjoyed the small things in life.

 

"Now, you wanna start talking, or do we have to switch tactics?" the man asked and squatted down to eye level with his prisoner.

 

"How about this, go fuck yourself!" Jeremy growled and head butted the man, smiling his captor fell away hand pressed to his forehead and groaning loudly.

 

"Okay shithead, that's the way you want it!" the brute snarled and advanced on the lad, peering down at him with a death glare, Jeremy returning with his own.

 

Suddenly the man smiled, and reached up, running a hand through Jeremy's purple and orange hair. The lad flinched away and did his best to keep out of the man's grasp, but the hand remain on his head.

 

"You've sure got a nice head of hair there pal. You must care a lot about it to go to such lengths to keep it this soft and colorful," the man said and slowly walked behind Jeremy, making the lad quite uncomfortable.

 

The hand suddenly tightened into a fist, and his head was yanked back painfully by his hair, the lad hissing in pain and hoping he hadn't lost any. The man smiled down at him and yanked his head to the side, also as hard and equally as painful, this time Jeremy feeling a few hairs rip from his scalp. He grit his teeth and struggled but the man's grip on his hair tightened.

 

"Be a shame if you lost all that nice hair of yours pretty boy," he heard the man say before his head was yanked back again, this time a yelp of pain escaping his lips as a chunk of hair was ripped from his head.

 

Jeremy knew he could survive this, but fuck all did it hurt! He'd always been so proud of his hair, how thick it could get, how it always styled the way he wanted it to, loved it when soft hands were run through it. But now he felt as if his head were on fire, and he wasn't sure if he'd started bleeding yet or not, unsure if his actual scalp had been ripped away with some of the hair. He closed his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth again. The crew would come for him, they would, they had too...right? The more he thought about it the less sure he became. He opened his eyes and tried not to cry when the man interrogating him let some of his yanked hair drift down in front of his eyes to settle on his lap.

 

"This would be less painful for you if you'd just give us what we want," he said wickedly in Jeremy's ear.

 

"My Crew is coming for me, and when they do, I'm going to kill you. Slowly, not with a gun, you don't deserve that mercy. No, I'm going to use dull knives, rusty ones. I'm going to slowly skin you alive," Jeremy growled.

 

"Your crew doesn't care about you. They'd be here by now if they did. They've hung you out to dry, can't blame em, you're just the newbie," the man snarled and yanked Jeremy's hair painfully, again he felt more hair come loose.

 

Tears from the pain flooded his eyes and he tried to fight back the words that his captor had said. But deep down he started to believe them. It was true, he was the newest addition to the Fake AH Crew, and the most expendable. He wasn't talented at hacking like Gavin, he wasn't as strong as Michael or Ryan, and definitely didn't have the leadership qualities of Geoff and Jack. He was just...Jeremy. His hair was yanked and pulled over and over again, the lad holding back the tears as more and more hair was ripped from his head, the pain he felt in his heart greater than the physical pain. Every tug of his hair was a tug on his heart, a reminder that the crew hadn't showed up to save him yet, that they wouldn't come for him.

 

Finally the hair pulling stopped and he hung his head, the tears ready to fall. His shoulders slumped and he sniffed, the gorilla of a man interrogating him laughing and shoving his head to the side as he walked around front of Jeremy, the lad's head swaying loosely.

 

"I knew I would break you, it was just a matter of time," he said darkly.

 

Suddenly the sounds of gunfire reached their ears, the goon looking up startled. He glanced down at Jeremy and shoved a black bag over his head and ran to the door, drawing his own gun and standing at the ready. There was silence for a moment before the door exploded inwards, the goon falling the the floor in a shower of splinters with a cry. He looked up and paled as a black skull mask emerged from the smoke, the Vagabond stalking dangerously towards him. He crawled back and scrambled to his feet, turning to run towards Jeremy and use him as a shield, the Vagabond moving faster. The goon felt the strong grip around his throat as the murder's arm wrapped itself in a constricting grip, the Vagabond chuckling darkly at the man's feeble attempts to struggle free before snapping the man's neck and letting his body crumple to the floor. Ryan darted over to where Jeremy sat slumped in the chair and reached for the hood.

 

"No! Please," Jeremy cried out in a panic. Ryan stilled his hand before gently and slowly lifting the edge just enough to see Jeremy's face.

 

"Ryan," Jeremy said before tears filled his eyes and his voice got choked up in his throat. Ryan lifted his mask, a soft but concerned look on his face when he saw the bruises and cuts on Jeremy's face, knowing the rest of him looked the same.

 

He smiled at the lad and untied him from the chair, Jeremy collapsing into his arms as the tears started to fall. He clung tightly to Ryan, despite the pain in his body from his interrogation, never wanting to let go, afraid that if he did it would all be a dream.

 

"Let me see," Ryan said gently and without pause slowly removed the hood from Jeremy's head, eyes widening and a small gasp escaping his lips. "Oh Jer!"

 

Jeremy looked away and more tears fell. He was ashamed, both for how his hair looked and for ever doubting that the crew would come for him, that Ryan would come for him.

 

"I'm so sorry Jeremy. I should've gotten here sooner, I'm sorry," Ryan said softly and pulled Jeremy closer in another hug. All Jeremy could do was sob and nod, knowing that it wasn't Ryan's fault.

 

"Please, I don't want the others to see me like this," he said when his voice returned.

 

Ryan nodded and after wiping away any blood from the lad's scalp he replaced the hood, pulling it down just over Jeremy's ears and forehead like a beanie. He helped the lad to his feet, pulling his mask back down and led him out the door, one arm wrapped around the lad's waist and the other propping Jeremy's arm over his shoulders for support. They made it out of the warehouse and to the car where Jack and Michael were waiting. They wanted to ask so many questions but a look from Ryan kept the quiet. The whole ride home was spent that way, Michael sitting in the passenger seat while Jack drove, Ryan and Jeremy sat in the backseat, Jeremy leaning against Ryan's shoulder with his eyes closed while Ryan held his hand and wrapped an arm protectively around the lad's shoulders. They pulled into the penthouse's garage and slowly made their way to the top floor in silence, all the while Ryan held Jeremy close. They got to the top floor and the doors opened, the group walking down the short hall to the penthouse and walked inside, Geoff and Gavin waiting nervously.

 

"Jeremy!" Gavin exclaimed and rushed forward to hug the lad, freezing when Ryan glared at him and seemed to grow larger as he shielded Jeremy who'd flinched at the sound.

 

"Not now. Later," was all he said looking at Geoff as well before leading Jeremy down the hall to his room.

 

Once behind closed doors Jeremy started trembling as Ryan guided him to the bed and let him sit there. He gently removed the hood and examined the lad's head, wincing at what he saw. He looked into Jeremy's eyes.

 

"Let me clean it. I need to get it washed so it doesn't become infected. Please," he said. Jeremy just nodded.

 

Ryan darted to the bathroom and came back with a damp cloth. Ever so gently he cleaned the few wounds Jeremy had received from his hair being ripped out, making soft comforting sounds as he did. When he was done he saw that the wounds were too bad and they'd be healed quickly, but he was concerned for the non physical wounds Jeremy had suffered. He sat beside his friend and put an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close.

 

"Are you okay?" he asked.

 

"No, I'm not okay Ryan," Jeremy said and sniffed.

 

"Sorry, it was a dumb question. I'm just worried about you," Ryan said.

 

"Why?"

 

Ryan looked up startled at that and stared at Jeremy, his eyes empty and void of their usual sparkling light.

 

"W-what?" he asked stunned.

 

"Why were you worried about me?" Jeremy asked.

 

"Jeremy, why wouldn't I worry about you? Why wouldn't I have come for you? You're my partner, my Battle Buddy!" Ryan exclaimed. Jeremy just looked down at the floor.

 

"Wait, did you think..." Ryan started but couldn't finish, Jeremy looking up at him, his eyes and expression the answer.

 

Ryan pulled the lad in for a hug, squeezing him tightly as the two rocked, Jeremy's small sobs muffled by Ryan's chest. Ryan fought back his own tears as he held Jeremy.

 

"We'd never abandon you Jeremy. You're a part of our family, you're one of us. We love you!" Ryan said after Jeremy's cries had died down.

 

"I know, I really do. I'm sorry I ever doubted you!" Jeremy sputtered. Ryan smiled and looked down at him, wiping the tears away.

 

"You've done nothing wrong. Don't be sorry. And never doubt your worth or place here in the Crew Jer. We'll always be there for you, we'll always come for you. I'll always come for you buddy," he said.

 

Jeremy smiled and leaned against Ryan's chest, sniffling. The two sat there for awhile before Jeremy pulled away.

 

"Battle Buddies..." he started.

 

"Battle Buddies, forever," Ryan finished their saying and smiled down at him. He helped Jeremy remove his shoes and socks, and insisted on checking him for other wounds before the lad settled down in his bed.

 

The crew didn't see Jeremy for three days after they'd rescued him, Ryan the only one allowed in his room, taking him food and drinks and anything he might need. After the three days the lad emerged, walking slowly out into the living room and facing the crew who stared at him.

 

"Jeremy, your hair!" Gavin exclaimed.

 

The ripped out hair had left many bald patches on his head, and Jeremy was ashamed to walk out his door. So he'd done what he thought was best and shaved all his hair off, now completely bald. He looked around nervously at the crew for a moment before catching Ryan's eyes, the gent smiling.

 

"I think you look amazing!" he said. The others smiled and agreed, Jeremy breathing a sigh of relief and sending Ryan a look of thanks.

 

The others gathered around him and hugged him, telling him how sorry they were for not getting to him sooner and that he matter to them, that they loved him. He felt so overwhelmed he nearly cried again as the group stood there in a massive group hug.

 

How had he become so lucky to find such a wonderful family?


End file.
